To riverboats starting with P, Page 1


1. Name: POCAHONTAS
    Type: Sidewheeler, wood hull packet     Size: 397 tons
    Launched: 1849, Cincinnati, Oh.
    Destroyed: 1852, Mar. 14, Island 78, Miss. R., Burned Lost 10 lives
    Area: U. Miss.  and Ark. Rs.
    Comments: 1852, Mar. 14, Collapsing flue scallded many and killed 8

1. Name: POCAHONTAS
    Type: Sidewheeler, wood hull packet     Size: 163 tons, 180' X 32'
    Launched: 1857, Pittsburgh, Pa.
    Destroyed: 1866, Aug. 9, Near Ft. Randall, S.D. on Mo. R.
               Snagged and lost while carrying Indian supplies.
    Area: U. Miss., Mo. and Ohio Rs.
    Captins: 1862, Staines, Henry B.
    Comments: An island near sinking was named Pocahontas after this boat

Name: POINT-COUNTERPOINT
    Type: Showboat     Size: 
    Launched: Modern
    Area: Pittsburgh

Name: POLAHANTAS
    Area: Miss. R.
    Comments: From The Diary Of Joseph T. Anderson storekeeper,
             Commerce, Mo.
            - Saturday Night, April 21st 1861.  " . . . We went to the
             new church and viewed it good.  We then went  back to the 
             store and read till night and then Burke, Planert and I 
             took a walk down by the river.  The Polahantas came in sight
             and turned us back.  She landed and put off Mr. Backer with
             a lot of household."

Name: POLAR STAR
    Type: Sidewheeler                Size:
    Launched: 1858?
    Area: Mo. R. Miss. R. and Ohio R.
    Owner: Union Packet Line.
    Captain and pilots: Capt. 
    Comments: 1853, July:  Made a run from St. Louis - St. Joseph
               0/64/0.
               Depicted as "Last Boat Out" at Westport Landing in
               print by Charles Goslin, a Kansas City artist.

Name: PONTIAC


Name: POOK'S TURTLES  or POOKS GUNBOATS 
    Type: ironclad war boats
    Size: 175' long with 2 feet thick sides.
    About: There were seven of these boats launched for U.S. service.
           Each was the same* and each had 13 guns. Six 32 pounder smoothbores,
           three 8-inch Dahlgren smoothbore shell guns and four rifled 42 pounders.
           * The ST. LOUIS had one more 32 pounder instead of one of the eight inchers.
           CAIRO, MOUND CITY, and CINCINNATI  built at Mound city, Ill.
           CARONDELET, LOUISVILLE, ST. LOUIS and PITTSBUTG built at Carondelet, Mo.
    Comments: Designed by Samuel M. Pook and built by James B. Eads

Name: PORPOISE
    Type:                Size: Small
    Area: Husdson R.

Name: PORTLAND No. 1
    Type: Stern-wheeler   Size:
    Comments: became tug-boat to tankers.

Name: PORTLAND
    Type: Sternwheeler Modern, steel welded hull
    Size:     length, 219'; beam, 44'; draft, 7'; construction
              steel hull, wooden superstructure;
              paddle wheel: diameter, 25'; width, 26'
              rudders: 7
              engines: horsepower, 900; bore, 26"; stroke 108"
              boiler: type, water tube; working pressure, 250 p.s.i
              burners: 3
              Cost: $500,000.
    Launched: 1947
    Destroyed: Nope
    Area: 1952, Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
    Owner: Oregon Maritime Center and Museum
    Captain and pilots: Capt. 1952, Williamson, Robert
    Comments: The Portland was the last steam-powered sternwheel
             tugboat built in the United States. She worked as a
             ship-assist tug from her launching in 1947 until she was
             retired in 1981. Volunteers began restoring her in 1990,
             and she steamed again under her own power in June, 1993.

             In 1994 the Portland had a starring role in the movie
             Maverick, starring James Garner, Jodie Foster and Mel
             Gibson. Altered to look like a Mississippi River
             gambling boat, she spent two weeks on the Columbia River
             posing for camera shots in the strong current. She
             ran perfectly. 

             She is currently on display at her Willamette River moorage
             at the river wall in downtown Portland.  She is steamed
             up for excursions several times a year. Since she is not
             licensed to carry paying passengers, the passenger list
             for these outings is selected at random from OMCM members. 
             1952, Queen of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.  
             Steamboat Portland's Home Page w/Pictures 


Name: POST BOY
  
1. Name: POTOMAC
    Type: Sidewheel wooden hull packet     Size: 833 tons
    Launched: 1. 1870, Cincinnatti Oh.
              or by Phillips Works, Wheeling, W. Va..
    Destroyed: 1882 or so, dismantled.  Hull became salt barge and later
                was turned turtle by ice, Hartford City, W. Va..
    Area: 1870, Ohio R., Wheeling - Cincinnati
               later, Louisville - New Orleans
          1872, Miss. R., New Orleans - St. Louis
               later, Ohio R., Cincinnati - Pomeroy
    Owner: 1870, Fink, Capt. Theorore; later, Shunk, Capt. John N.
           later, Honshell, Capt. Wash and others;
    Captain(s): Late 1860's, Fink, Peppers, George H.
               1872, master, Batchelor, J.W.
               1881, Kirker, Will
    Comments; 1870, Dec. 22, Collided with ROB'T E. LEE,
              LEE had to be grounded to avoid sinking.
    Comments: Notes from WHEELING INTELLIGENCER, June 24, 1951
    Comments: From the Wheeling Register, Monday, March 31, 1879

Name: PRAIRIE
    Launched: 1836, Pittsburgh Area
    Destroyed: 1840, in tornado at Natchez
    Area: Miss. R. out of St. Louis
    Comments: Source Article
            : 1837, May 8, Was racing BEN SHARROD when the latter caught fire.

Name: PRAIRIE BELLE
    Destroyed: Blew up while racing MOVASTAR
    Captain and pilots: Engineer, Bludso, Jim. 

Name: PRAIRIE BIRD
    Type: Sternwheel, wooden hull packet.  Size: 83 tons.
    Launched: 1845, Pittsburgh, Pa.
    Destroyed: 1848, off the lists.
    Area: U. Miss. R.
    Owner: 1845, Capt. John Vandergrift
           1845, after, sold to Capt. Levi miller, Wheeling and others.
    Captain: 1845, Master, John Vandergrift;
                   Pilots, William J. Kountz and C.W. Batchelor
             1846 or so, Wall, Niebe
    Comments: Mentioned in this Article

Name: PRAIRIE CITY
    Type: Sternwheel, wooden hull packet.  Size: 151' X 28.4' X 5.5', 198 tons
    Launched: 1852, early, California, Pa.
    Destroyed: 1855, Dec. 7, St. Louis by fire that started in the hull of 
               the PARTHENIA and spread to this boat and the TWIN CITY
    Area: 1852, Pittsburgh-St. Louis trade
    Owners: 1852, originally, Capt. Mark Sterling, Capt. Henry Mason and Evan Evans,
                  all of Pittsburgh.
            1852, late, sold to Capt. Pleasant Devinny and others,
                  all of St. Clair County, Ill.
    Captains: 1852, early, Master, Mark Sterling
              1852 late- 1855, Dec. 7, Pleasant Devinny

Name: PRAIRIE STATE
    Launched: 1840s?
    Destroyed: 1849, May 17, Fire at St. Louis docks
    Area: Ill. R.

1. Name: PRAIRIE ROSE
	Type: Sternwheel wooden hull packet   Size: 247 tons.
	Launched: 1854, Brownsville, Pa.
	Destroyed: 1866, Jan, 12, St. Louis at foot of Biddle St., sunk by ice
	Area:  1855, St.Louis - St. Paul trade
           1861, Cincinnatti - Memphis trade.
           1864, May - June, was up Missouri R. to Levenworth, Ks.
	Owners:
	Captains: 1855, Maratta in St.Louis - St. Paul trade
		  1861, James S. Wise
		  *1864, June, William Eads/Edds, Sr
	Comments: *1864, June, U. S. service during Civil War. Mo. R.
			: mentioned in General Sherman's Memoirs

Name: PRESIDENT
    Type: Sidewheel, wooden hull ferryboat. Size: 138' X 36' X 5', 285 tons
    Launched: 1864, Madison, Ind.
    Destroyed: 1889, off the lists
    Area: 1880s, Mo. R.
    Owner: 1864-89, C.B. And Q. Railroad, Burlington, Iowa 
    Captains: 1864, C.E. Burtcht

Name: PRESIDENT, originally the CINCINNATI
    Type: sidewheel excursion steamer
    Launched: 1924

Name: PRICE

Name: PRIDE OF THE RIVER
    Area: 1850s?, California Delta
 



 Currier and Ives
  From Picture This
There were no fewer than 10 PRINCESS' and one PRINCESS JR.
The one pictured here was probably the 1855 PRINCESS
  
Name: PRINCESS 
    Launched: 1855?
    Destroyed: 1859, Feb. 27, Exploded at Conrad's Point below Baton Rouge.
               70 lives lost.
    Area: New Orleans-Vicksburg
    Captain: 1855-56, Truman C. Holmes
             1867, Jan. William C. Wilson took command. 
    Comments: Made run N.O. To Natchez, 1853, 0/20/26
              Made run N.O. to Natchez, 1855, 0/18/53
              Made run N.O. to Natchez, 1856, 0/17/30
              Made run N.O. to Donaldsville, 78mi., 1856, 0/4/51
            : From Carl Brewer Carl Brewer
              "I had a 4th G.Father that disappeared into the wilds of
              Louisiana to Gamble in 1859, I find that a Brewer was
              killed when the Princess blew up at Conrad's Point in
              Feb. of that year.  He left a pregnant wife and a nice
              East Texas farm, no gambling man would leave a nice East
              Texas farm."

Name: PRINCESS
    Type: Sternwheel, wooden hull packet.  Size: 156.9' X 30.3' X 4.4', 185 tons.
    Power: 13's 3-1/2 ft., 2 boilers.
    Launched: 1863, Freedom, Pa.
    Destroyed: 1868, June 1, 1 mi. above Fire Creek above Napoleon, Mo. on Mo. R.,
                      snagged and lost.  Was on way to Ft. Benton.
    Area: 1868, St. Louis-Arkansas R.
    Owners: when built, Capt. George W. Cullen and Capt. Frank Maratta
            1864 sold to U.S. Navy who converted her to Tinclad # 53
            1865, Sold to Capt. Ben F. Beasley
    Captains: 1868, When lost, F.P. Voohries
    Comments: 1864, converted to Tinclad # 53 and renamed NAIAD.
              1865, Oct. 21, renamed back to  PRINCESS

Name: PRINCESS, originally the SUNSHINE

Name: PRINCESS - Originally the H.W. BUTTORF
    Type: Excursion 
    Launched: Early 1900's ?
    Area: Out of Cincinnati

Name: PRINCESS
    Owner: 1909, Capt. William (Billy) Bryant and family.
	Comments: used to tow BRYANT'S NEW SHOWBOAT

Name: PRISCILLA
    Type: Inside side-wheeler
    Size: 440"
    Launched: 1893
    Area: New York to Boston
    Owner: Fall River Line
    Captain and pilots: Capt.
    Comments: See this web site: Fall River and Providence Steamboat Company

 

Name: PROMETHEUS
    Launched: 1850s?
    Area: New York to Greytown, Panama
    Owner: Vanderbilt, Cornelius

Name: PROVIDENCE
    Type: Side-wheeler               Size: 
    Launched: 186??
    Area: Hudson R.
    Owner: Fall River Line

Name: PUTAH/CHICU SAN/MANSION BELLE/SPIRIT OF SACRAMENTO
    Type: Sternwheeler, California Delta Snagboat               Size: 
    Destroyed: Sometime after 1991, burned nearly to waterline.
    Comments: 1954, As CHICU SAN, Was in the John Wayne, Lauren Bacall
              Movie Blood Alley
              After movie, renamed MANSION BELLE and put into excursion business
              out of Old Sacramento, then traveled to distant places and returned
              to Old Sacramento.  See ARTICLE  

Name: PURITAN
    Type: Stern-wheeler               Size: 
    Launched: 1889
    Owner: Fall River Line
    Comments: See this web site: Fall River and Providence Steamboat Company

Name: PUTNAM - Actually the 	RUFUS PUTNAM

Name: PUTNAM
    Launched: cir. 1848, Zanesville, Oh. on a canal bank
    Area: New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain trade
    Owner: Capt. Blue
    Comments: Mentioned in this Article

Name: PYRAMID, originally the SUNOL

To riverboats starting with P, Page 1


1. Way's Packet Directory, 1848 - 1994

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